WATSONVILLE -- California's 4.7 million-ton grape crush in 2013 broke the record set the previous year.

The news from the U.S. Department of Agriculture came as no surprise to Santa Cruz Mountain winegrowers, who reaped the harvest of near perfect conditions for producing grapes last year.

The forecast for the coming year, however, is less optimistic due to drought and natural vineyard cycles.

"The 2013 harvest, those come around like once every generation, wonderful quality, wonderful quantity, and a good price for growers, really a vintage year because of the great weather," said John Bargetto, who heads up production at the Soquel winery's Regan Estate Vineyards in Corralitos.

According to the USDA report, released Monday, overall the crush was up 7 percent from 2012. Red wine varieties were up 5 percent, white 6 percent. The amount of crushed table and raison grapes rose more than 20 percent.

The crush report includes all processed grapes, such as those used in juice.

While the price per ton, averaging $706 statewide for all types, was down slightly for red and white wine grapes and more substantially for other varieties, overall the value rose from $3.2 billion to $3.3 billion

Mary Lindsay, president of the Viticulture Association of Santa Cruz Mountains, said some of the increase in the crush statewide could be due to more vineyards coming on line. But 2013 was a banner year in the Santa Cruz Mountains.

As an example, Lindsay pointed to Muns Vineyards, which sits just below the Loma Prieta summit and where Lindsay is charge of marketing. Early cold and rain delayed the 2011 harvest, and the vines produced 19 tons of pinot noir. But in 2012, and again in 2013, Muns harvested better than 40 tons, even after dropping some fruit to ensure quality.

"It was our optimum," Lindsay said. "Generally, last year, the wineries that wanted Santa Cruz Mountains fruit got pretty much whatever they wanted. Many wineries took more because it was available. Barrels were in short supply. Wineries were full. It was very exciting."

Jim Schultze of Windy Oaks Estate Vineyards and Winery in Corralitos said 2013 was his best year since 2007. Pinot production was up more than 10 percent greater than more normal years, providing 10 extra tons of fruit, translating into 600 cases of wine.

Schultze said the lack of spring rain and the absence of the normal June gloom kept disease down and allowed flowers to set, making for densely packed fruit clusters.

"It was so beautiful throughout the flowering. The set was perfect and the cluster weights were up," he said. "Everyone I know was happy about that. We were too."

But last year the drought didn't set in until after a wet December. Since then, it's hardly rained. Seasonal rainfall usually gives vines the water they need during dormancy, but both Schultze and Bargetto said they irrigated this winter in hopes of mitigating the drought.

"Plants can sense, during dormancy if it's an unusually dry year, and they set less fruit," Schultze said.

Not everyone has the luxury of irrigation. Bargetto said he made a "big investment" to put in a well 10 years ago. Lindsay said many mountain growers dry farm and don't have access to groundwater. Their vines will struggle, and not put out as much fruit, she said, but they'll survive.

Even without the drought, growers said another year like the previous two is unlikely. Grape vines are "alternate bearing," light one year, heavy the next, Bargetto said.

"You have two really great years, and they pull back and say 'I'm taking a rest,'" Lindsay said. "And with the weather conditions, everybody's expecting this year's harvest to be less."